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Labour were more than 11,000 votes off the pace two years ago and the question Mr Rayment expects to be asked more than anything is why is the party fielding a candidate when doing so could split the vote in favour of the Tories.

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But his shock withdrawal, followed by Mrs Hobhouse’s stunning win over some 20 people who put their names forward, changed everything.

Speaking on the doorsteps of the Twerton Park clubhouse where she was chosen, she vowed to represent the 70 per cent of Bath people who voted for Britain to remain in the EU in last summer’s referendum.